Category Archives: Exhibitions

The just-concluded fifth MICE Middle East Forum at the Lapita Hotel Dubai witnessed a record 300 participants including buyers, sellers, speakers and panelists from the Middle East. The sessions offered interesting insights in to the MICE industry in the region and the various technologies which provide ample support to the industry. Nayab Rafiq, CEO Pinnacle Middle East, welcomed all the participants and appreciated the efforts of the sponsors for enabling the event. The opening remarks were given by General Manager of Lapita Hotel, Sanne Emborg followed by a very interesting presentation on the importance of meetings, conferences, exhibitions and events on the oil and gas industry and its effects on GE. A panel discussion was also held on the role of events in effective product launches and marketing campaigns attended by some of the stalwarts of the industry. The sessions engrossed the audience and the iPads that were kept on each table for each participant proved to be a very effective tool for interaction. Thought leadership was a key word that was stressed by the speakers and panelists about today’s high-tech world and best practices. The panel discussion on the importance of events as thought leadership drivers for the B2B industry was something that got the participants to discuss even during their networking sessions. Pedro Pereira, Digital and Innovation Leader at SAP brought in a whole new world of technology to the forum with his presentation on how secure you can make your customers travel bookings as well by using blockchain technology which is the next level of authentication.

The 13th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2017 is scheduled to be held from September 7-9 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC). The expo will provide marketing opportunities and backdrop to enhance participant’s brand equity in the eyes of the travel trade professionals and discerning end consumers. Hundreds of exhibitors and regional and local tourism stakeholders have benefitted from this largest global tourism platform in the Mekong region through the extensive networking opportunities, exclusive access to major stakeholders and gain key business insights in this growing industry. The event is only open for travel trade professionals on September 7 and 8.

Tourism Authority of Thailand recently held the Amazing Thailand Health and Wellness Showcase 2017 at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld to encourage Thailand’s health tourism business, by demonstrating the potentiality and readiness of its health service products at international level. With the theme ‘Thailand a Paradise for Longevity’, the event saw about 44 sellers of Thai health and wellness products meeting around 80 buyers and health tourism business representatives from around 22 different countries, to showcase their items. Some of the health innovative services showcased at this event were regenerative medicine, anti-aging medicine, cosmetic dentistry for beauty, cosmetic surgery and cell therapy. There was strong presence of members from the Middle East, Scandinavian countries, South East Asia, UK and USA.

Vietnam’s International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) is excited to return for the 13th time, from September 7-9, 2017, at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC). The confirmed exhibitors currently include airlines, hotels and resorts, tour companies, and travel representatives from countries like UAE, Turkey, Australia, Cambodia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. More than 3,600 meetings were conducted between buyers and sellers last year, and the organisers expect the number to grow by 15% this year. Pre-registration is now open, and trade and public visitors are strongly encouraged to pre-register at the ITE HCMC’s website before the event to skip last-minute rush.

Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai sent a team on a special sales mission to China for the 2017 Dubai China Roadshow organised by The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). They visited Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Guangzhou to explore the various colours of China and locate opportunities to extend their hotel business. Dubai is witnessing unprecedented demand from Chinese visitors. China is among the Top 5 source markets for Dubai. Elaborating on the success of the mission, Binu Varghese, Director of Sale and Marketing, Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, said, “China is a growing market for us and holds strong potential. This year’s roadshow was hugely successful and gave us the opportunity to meet over 300 buyers from four key cities. FIT market development was a key focus for us along with continuous promotion of group business. In addition to highlighting our various offerings to buyers through one-on-one table talk, we got fantastic networking opportunities with local travel industry opinion leaders.”

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Emirates Group and Chairman of the Higher Committee of Expo 2020 Dubai, inaugurated the UAE pavilion at Expo 2017 Astana. Covering more than 980 sq. m., the UAE Pavilion is the largest at the Expo and has been designed to receive up to 7000 visitors per day. A virtual host will guide visitors through the experience, with the overall tour of the pavilion taking nearly 20 minutes to complete. H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was accompanied by Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Directors of National Media Council, the government entity that built, managed and supervised the country’s pavilion. Mohammed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Mansour Al Mansouri, Director-General of NMC and Kairat Lama Sharif, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UAE, were also in attendance.

The fourth annual Bali & Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF) concluded recently with 174 sellers from around Indonesia representing the tourism and hospitality industry, from tour operators to chain hotels and resorts as well as provincial tourism offices, along with 264 buyers from 54 countries. Co-hosted by South Sumatra Province, the fourth annual travel fair also organised several pre-tour programmes, sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, to several destinations, including Mount Bromo and Labuan Bajo. MichiDe International, the Dubai-based luxury travel expert, gave an opportunity to the media from the Middle East to be a part of this event. For the fourth Bali & Beyond Travel Fair, the committee collaborated with MichiDe International. By collaborating with MichiDe, the committee aimed to bring in key international buyers and high-profile media from the Middle East region to Bali and expand the success of the travel fair beyond the boundaries of Indonesia. MichiDe’s Chief Executive Officer Gessy Gitapuri remains dedicated to position Bali as the leading destination in South East Asia for the elite travellers from the Middle East.

As a follow up to the MOU signed between Emirates Airlines and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia in April 2016 for tourism cooperation between the two countries, the first roadshow was conducted in Kuwait and Dubai. There were five top destination management companies (DMC’s) and three top hotels from Indonesia and over 80 travel and tourism partners from the UAE. The event was graced by H.E. Arzaf Fachrezy Firman, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia. He stated, “the idea of this event is to promote Indonesia for both sides including the sellers and buyers. There are six sellers from Indonesia and we hope that they can sell for the upcoming Ramadan season and the summer holidays. Indonesia is a diverse country within hours you can see the pristine beaches on one side and snow atop the mountains on another within just a few hours’ drive.” Nia Niscaya, Director of International Tourism Promotion in Europe, Middle East, America and Africa stated, “it is a follow up of the MOU signed by Emirates Airlines and the Government of Indonesia last year at ATM. Today we are joining together with Emirates Airlines to promote our destination and the second Emirates flight to Bali. We are aiming to promote the packages with Emirates for Ramadan and summer holidays for the Middle Eastern and expatriates in Kuwait and UAE, we earnestly hope that this industrial gathering will yield networking and results between tourism industries in the two countries. ”

The 20th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) is back for a record year to offer residents and visitors an exciting six week calendar of sales and family entertainment. Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), this year’s DSS will run for 43 days under the slogan ‘Enjoy 6 weeks of sales.’ DSS 2017 will feature a series of retail promotions offering the best deals and discounts and the opportunity to win fabulous prizes at malls run in collaboration with the Dubai Shopping Malls Group. Thousands of retail outlets will reward visitors with special offers and discounts of up to 75 per cent on a wide range of merchandise. This year’s DSS is also the time for families to make the most of their summer, with a range of entertainment including Arabic concerts, Modhesh World, the region’s most popular family indoor edutainment center; and a variety of cartoon character performances and world-class shows (including Transformers, Aladdin, Ghostbusters, Pirates in the Caribbean) taking place at malls across the city. With a view to attracting as many visitors from around the world, the organisers will launch a marketing campaign in international markets with a focus on digital platforms and social media.

Around 600 companies, destinations, organisations and travel service providers from nearly 70 countries and territories will be represented in China’s new three-day business to business travel trade show on the grounds of the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Conference Centre. ITB China is the Chinese off-shoot of annual ITB Berlin, the World´s Largest Travel Trade Show ®, and its sister show, ITB Asia, in Singapore. The inaugural event has attracted around 600 exhibitors among which 28% are offering MICE products, 34% leisure, 31% Corporate and 7% travel technology solutions. More than one third of the exhibitors made their way from all over Asia and China to the first ITB China. Around 40% coming from European countries, 10% from the Middle East and some 10% from the Americas.